This Just Might Be The Worst Poll Yet For Democrats

The Republican Party is at its strongest point in two decades
heading into midterm elections, according to a new Pew Research-USA Today poll, the latest
daunting sign for Democrats ahead of campaign season.

The GOP is at an even stronger point than in previous "wave"
elections in 1994 and 2010 and looks poised to make major gains —
and possibly take control of the U.S. Senate.

According to the poll, out Monday, Republicans have a 47-43 lead
on the generic congressional ballot. That's a 10-point swing from
October, when Democrats, boosted by GOP blame for the federal
government shutdown, held a 6-point lead in the Pew poll.

Overall, Democrats are plagued by the still-sluggish economy, the
unpopularity of the Affordable Care Act, and
the undesirable views of President Obama. More voters (26%) say
their vote will be "against" the president. Only 16% say their
vote will be "for" Obama. And by more than a 2-to-1 margin,
voters say they want the next president to pursue policies
different from the Obama administration's priorities.

As has been seen in other polls showing trouble for Democrats
this year, the party is hampered by a lack of enthusiasm. For
example, only 31% of Democratic voters say their vote is "for"
Obama. In 2010, that number was 47%.

Although last Friday's jobs report showed the unemployment
rate dropping to its lowest level since 2008, most people (65%)
say jobs are still difficult to find. And while 25% of
voters think the economy will get better next year, about an
equal number think it'll get worse.

The percentage of voters who disapprove of the Affordable
Care Act (55%) is still tied for the highest in the law's
history.

Below is a good chart from Pew that sums up the state of play
this election season. Overall, it looks as if Republicans are
poised for a stronger campaign than their gains in 2010. But it
does not appear that they will have gains on par with the
Democratic Party in 2006, when Democrats gained six seats in the
Senate and 31 in the House amid the peak of President George W.
Bush's unpopularity.